This invention relates to cladded window products and their method of manufacture and, more particularly, to wooden window products which are selectively cladded with a metal covering.
Wood is extensively used in the manufacture of windows and doors since it is readily available, easily milled, and has an attractive appearance. However, it is desirable to provide a coating on the exterior surface of the window or sliding door to protect the wood from the weather or other elements. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,285, a metal, such as aluminum, is fixedly attached to the exterior side of the window or sliding door.
Prefabricated window products are usually manufactured at a single plant location. Each part is individually cut from wooden stock and subsequent manufacturing steps ultimately provide a finished window product. The above-cited patent employs the technique of completely assembling an entire window product and then selectively cladding the appropriate surfaces and sections to provide the finished product. This technique has several drawbacks. For example, assembly line backups are likely to develop if the cladding process cannot be accomplished on schedule. Each piece of metal cladding must be individually fit on a frame, and cutting tolerances may make this cut-and-fit technique expensive and time-consuming. Also, to provide a variety of different window products, many individual pieces of wood having different cross-sectional configurations must be milled. A significant number of different pieces are not interchangeable, and the lack of interchangeability results in an expensive window product. Also, the quality of the finished product substantially depends upon the skill of the personnel employed to effect the proper fit and to make the appropriate lap joints, especially at the miters.
Considering the drawbacks of the prior art, I have developed an attractive metal cladded window product which requires the minimum use of members having different cross-sectional configurations wherein each individual part is cladded before the assembly of the window product.